It all started when my husband and I were banished from the paradise world of fertility, where people get pregnant just by relaxing or buying a boat. Things got better when we became pregnant after IVF with ICSI, but then developed severe HEL.LP Syn.drome. Join me as I continue to recover from IF and HEL.LP while juggling twin boys.

Friday, April 13, 2007

34 Weeks!

Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement in response to my last post. This great community of support has meant so much to me.

I'm thrilled to be at 34 weeks today, and I'm also scared. According to my docs, these babies will most likely be here within the next 2-3 weeks. They won't let me go past 38 weeks (which would be May 15), and my OB thinks my body might only make it to 36 (which would be May 1). I'm still shooting for May 7. Let's see how well these boys listen to their mom.

I'm still in a lot of pain, but my fear that I won't know what to do once the babies actually arrive seems to take my mind off of it. H and I have never been around newborns. We've never changed a diaper, other than on the baby dolls provided to us in our infant care class. I know the whole world is going to change for us in a few weeks, and that after a short time everything will become second nature, but I'm terrified of those first two weeks at home.

So, let's go back to focusing on the pain. My trip to the OB and peri on Friday could be compared to the graphic torture scenes J.ack B.auer conducts on 24...at least that's how they felt to me. I once eagerly anticipated these appointments to see the babies and ensure that my cervix was shut (even if that part hurt a little). Friday's examinations truly felt like cruel and unusual punishment. First, being on my back for as long as it took to get ultrasound measurements almost made me pass out because I couldn't breathe. Then, the ultrasound tech kept pushing so hard into my belly that my skin felt like it was going to rip open or burst into flames. The babies were highly active during the appointments, which also made everything very painful as I was pummeled both inside and out. Even though the peri did a thorough ultrasound, my OB wanted to take her own look at the babies when I got to her office, so I got to go through the whole thing twice. She was a little more gentle, thank goodness, until it came time to shake hands with my cervix, which is still closed up tight.

The good news is that the babies are doing really well. They each weigh about 5 1/2 pounds (that's 11 pounds of baby in me!), which surprised the peri and the OB. Evidently they are in the 50th percentile for singleton babies and are very large for twins at 34 weeks. The most interesting part is that despite their large size, they still have room to be extremely active. In fact, I got to watch sadly during the first ultrasound as Baby A, who has been head down and ready to go this whole pregnancy, scooted himself out of position and joined his head up against Baby B's. It looked like they were whispering to each other, conspiring for me to have a C-section rather than a vaginal delivery. The peri and OB were very surprised that my uterus is large enough to allow them to move at all this late in the game. We're hopeful that Baby A will go back to his head down position, but now the word C-section is starting to be thrown around a lot more. It doesn't really matter, but they've been talking vaginal delivery for so long now based on Baby A that I'd been mentally preparing myself for that route.

I asked the peri if it was a problem that the babies still have so much room to move, and he said everything was perfectly fine with them. It's just unusual. Evidently my uterus is providing these guys with a 2-bedroom suite when they should be sharing a 1-bedroom efficiency. What can I say? I'm a good hostess.

I shared my latest symptoms with my OB--the itchy back, the underbelly pain, the hemorroids, the occasional cramps and nausea--and she said that I'm just showing the signs of a woman who would be considered past her due date with a singleton baby. She had a lot of pity in her eyes. As long as everything is okay, I can handle the pain a little longer.

I just wonder--when I have these babies, will my body feel better at all, or will the postpartum pains be just as bad or worse? Will I be able to get out of bed without my knees buckling from the weight? I understand that I will have some serious soreness in whatever area these babies decide to exit from, but will I at least be able to move again within a week or two? I feel like I'll be able to handle the sleep deprivation if I can just have most of my mobility back. Despite my fears, I can't wait to care for these babies. I want to make sure my beat-up body can handle it.

6 comments:

Bella
said...

Wow! I'm 3 days behind you, and each baby probably weighs at least one lb less than yours. When I was in last week, B, who had gone head down, had flipped to his favored breech spot. They were also shocked that there was still enough room for the acrobatics. A's head is wedged so far down in my pelvis that they wondered how I walk at all. I hardly do, but that sure explains the waddle!! I am having a repeat c-section, so position doesn't really matter. I really, really want to make it to May, but I have so many contractions...

34 weeks is huge! Nice work! I laughed at your hostess comment - indeed, you are being a good one to the little guys!

For what it's worth, I have heard you get your mobility back quickly after birth. Obviously, if you have a c-section, you might not be able to lie on your stomach at first, but I bet other things will be easier (and you'll just be a lot lighter). I am also getting uncomfortable, so I can only imagine how bad it must be for you with 11 lbs of baby inside!

I am also freaking out at how soon my baby may be here, and it is even sooner for you. Wow! You guys will do great. We have also never changed diapers, but we'll all learn, right?

I had my twins via c-section at 36w3d. I won't scare you with the particulars of my delivery, because it was unique, but even with the problems I had I was up pretty quickly. Going home with one still in the NICU was harder than the physical pain I was enduring. You push through -- because you have to. You'll be just fine. My twins just turned 1 and all that remains of that initial pain and weakness from delivery is a scar and two beautiful one-year olds! Can't beat that!

Hi Emmie - It's Lisa. I've continued to follow your pregnancy journey and am so psyched for you. Congrats and you go woman! Your babies sound wonderfully healthy and the size to me sounds positive. I envision all will be good whether you deliver the beginning or middle of May.I'm a bit behind you at approaching 31 weeks in a couple days. We're having a boy. Ever since week 29 I've been plagued with the Braxton Hicks contractions but I know they're positive in that they help tone the uterus in preparation for delivery. I've had; however, to slow up big time.

Thinking of you and wishing you the best of luck in the final weeks of your pregnancy, the delivery of your precious ones, and the recuperation period.